A woman who was previously sentenced to 30 years in jail due to a stillbirth that was decided to be her fault has been released from prison in El Salvador.
What We Know:
- Cindy Erazo, 29, from San Salvador, was given conditional freedom on Wednesday after six years in jail.
- The head of the Citizen’s Group for the Decriminalization of abortion, Morena Herrera, stated that Erazo, who already has a son aged 10, had an emergency when she was eight months pregnant. She was convicted of attempting to end the pregnancy and convicted with aggravated homicide. A year after her charges, her sentence was reduced to 10 years, from the original sentence, which was 30 years.
- Sadly, many women have been charged for manslaughter, homicide, and aggravated homicide after the women have had miscarriages, stillbirths, and other obstetric emergencies since El Salvador presented a total prohibited abortion in 1998.
- Fortunately, some women have been released from jail, having their convictions reversed or sentence reductions due to the dedicated and loyal campaigning from women’s rights groups.
- The executive director of the Women’s Equality Center, Paula Avila-Guillén, stated Erazo’s cases show the horrific truth of El Salvador’s extreme abortion ban and the horrendous culture of persecuting innocent women.
- It is still understood that more than 18 women are still in prison for abortion-related crimes. Nayib Bukele, the country’s president, who took office in June last year, has promised to legalize abortion when a woman’s life is in danger and has mentioned the fact that no woman should be jailed following obstetric emergencies. This is out of the women’s control.
- Herrera mentioned that on this day, they are celebrating the freedom of Cindy Erazo, who was supposed to be sentenced 30 years in prison due to false charges.
Herrera mentions this proves that justice is possible when women unite their forces, gives other women wrongfully jailed hope that there is a possibility they can gain freedom.
